Electrostatic label printer

ABSTRACT

APPARATUS FOR ELECTROSTATICALLY PRINTING LABEL INFORMATION, NORMALLY ADDRESSES, TAKEN FROM INDIVIDUAL MASTER ADDRESS CARDS ON A WEB MATERIAL FOR USE AS AN ADDRESSING FORM, THE APPARATUS INCLUDING A PHOTOCONDUCTIVE MEMBER, A SCANNING STATION, TRANSPORT MEANS FOR FEEDING THE CARDS FORWARD, MEANS FOR DEVELOPING LATENT IMAGES OF THE CARD INFORMATION ON THE MEMBER, A TRANSFER STATION, MEANS TO ADVANCE THE WEB MATERIAL TO THE TRANSFER STATION, FIXING MEANS TO FIX THE TRANSFERRED IMAGE ON THE WEB MATERIAL,   AND CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID APPARATUS ADAPTED WHEN OPERATED TO STOP, IN PREDETERMINED SEQUENCE, FIRST THE FIXING MEANS AND THEN THE WEB MATERIAL ADVANCE MEANS WHEREBY TO AVOID BURNING OR SCORCHING OF THE FORM BY THE FIXING MEANS, THE CONTROL MEANS BEING OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO INTERRUPTION IN THE FEED OF CARDS PAST THE SCANNING STATION, OR INTERRUPTION IN THE FEEDING OF SAID WEB MATERIAL, OR OVERFILLING OF THE ADDRESS CARD COLLECTING TRAY.

July 4, 1972 R. A. WILMES ELECTROSTATIC LABEL PRINTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed June 22, 1970 INVENTOR. RAYMOND A. WILMES "FIG. 6 B

ATTORNEY y 4, 1972- R. A. WILMES 3,674,352

ELECTROSTATIC LABEL PRINTER Filed June 22, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet z July4', 1972 I R. A. WILMES 3,674,352

ELECTROSTATIC LABEL PRINTER Filed June 22, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3

July 4, 1972 R. A. WILMES 3,674,352

ELECTROSTATIC LABEL PRINTER Filed June 22, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 4,1972 R. A. WILMES ELECTROSTATIC LABEL PRINTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledJune 22, 1970 United States Patent Oifice 3,674,352 Patented July 4,1972 US. Cl. 355-3 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus forelectrostatically printing label information, normally addresses, takenfrom individual master address cards on a web material for use as anaddressing form, the apparatus including a photoconductive member, ascanning station, transport means for feeding the cards forward; meansfor developing latent images of the card information on the member; atransfer station, means to advance the web material to the transferstation; fixing means to fix the transferred image on the web material;and control means for said apparatus adapted when operated to stop, inpredetermined sequence, first the fixing means and then the web materialadvance means whereby to avoid burning or scorching of the form by thefixing means, the control means being operable in response tointerruption in the feed of cards past the scanning station, orinterruption in the feeding of said web material, or overfilling of theaddress card collecting tray.

This invention relates to a label printing apparatus, and moreparticularly, to an apparatus for printing labels from individualaddress cards.

In addressing systems, the desirability of generating labels frominexpensive, easily manageable address formats such as cards, has longbeen recognized. One known method utilizes metal plates on which theaddress has been embossed. When used, each plate serves as a printingdie, the plates being placed one at a time in a printing device to printor stamp out either onto the article itself or as a label, the addressinformation. It is understood that where the address is printed out as alabel, the label is thereafter transferred to the articles, normally bygluing.

While metal plates have certain advantages, they suffer from relativelyhigh per unit cost and weight, the latter making storage of the platesfor large customer lists both difficult and expensive. Further, platesof this type are relatively inflexible in that it is diflicult to changeor amend the address information without destroying the plate.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved label printing apparatus.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved control fora label printer to protect the label copy, copy, normally paper againstscorching or burning by the printer image fixing means.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrostaticlabel printer having control means to stop the printer in the event of amalfunction.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a control mechanismfor a label copying machine effective to shutdown the machine in theevent of a failure in the supply of master cards or breaking orexhausting of the label strip.

It is an object of the present invention to provide, in an apparatus forimaging labels on an endless web material from individual master cards,means to stop the apparatus when the card return tray is filled.

This invention relates to an electrostatic printing apparatus, thecombination including means for feeding cards through the apparatus, thecards providing address information to be copied; means for producingelectrostatically images of the address information on a web ma terial;means for advancing the web material in timed relationship withoperation of the card feeding means and the image producing means; meansfor fixing images produced on the web material wherein the fixing meansincludes a source of heat, control means adapted on a control signal tostop the apparatus without burning or scorching of the web material bythe fixing means heat source, the control means including timing meansadapted to hold the apparatus operative for a first interval surficientto permit the fixing means to fix the image from the last informationcard fed before the signal, the timing means being then effective toshutdown the fuser means heat source; gollowing an additional secondinterval designed to enable the fuser means heat source to cool down sothat burning or scorching of the web material is avoided, the timingmeans stopping the remainder of the apparatus including the webadvancing means; and condition responsive means for generating thecontrol signal in response to an operating condition of the apparatus.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the ensuingdescription and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the label pn'nter of the presentinvention from the label strip output side;

FIG. 2 is a schematic View of the label printer shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is the top view showing the address card feeding means for thelabel printer shown in FIG. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the master address cards arranged in shingledform for scanning thereof;

FIG. 5 is a view showing a portion of the finished label strip;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the strip threading mechanism ofthe label printer shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the drive system for the label printershown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a wiring diagram for the label printer shown in FIG. 1.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown thelabel printer, designated generally by the numeral 10, of the presentinvention. Label printer 10, which is encased in a suitable decorativeand protective housing 11, serves to electrostatically print acontinuous strip of labels 18 from individual master address cards 14 ona web material, normally paper. The finished label strip 12 may beconveniently stored fan fold fashion on output tray 16 for later use.Alternately, output tray 16 may be bypassed or dispensed with and labelstrip 12 fed directly to an automatic addressing machine (not shown) forimmediate use.

:Referring particularly to FIG. 4 of the drawings, master cards 14comprise any convenient size card, paper, or other stock, on whichxerographically recognizable information 18, usually name, streetaddress, town, state and zip code number may be placed. Normally, theinformation 18 is typed on white or light colored cards 14 although itmay be written, lettered, drawn, etc. Cards 14 may be any suitable sizealthough standard size cards such as 3 inch by 7% inch are preferred.Since the cards are larger than that required for the label information,a nominal label width (the space between perforations 52 in FIG. 5)being approximately one inch, the label information 18 is preferablyarranged in the longitudinal center of the cards 14 and adjacent oneedge thereof as shown in FIG. 4. To provide continuous labels, cards 14are overlapped or shingled one upon the other prior to scanning thereofsuch that each succeeding card masks the unused portion of the precedingcard, and so forth, as will appear more fully herein.

Label printer includes feeding means 20 for master cards 14, a scanningstation 22, an electrostatic printing section 24, and a strip advancingmeans 26.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 7 of the drawings, theelectrostatic printing section 24 includes a suitable light sensitive orphotoconductive member shown here as a drum 30 journaled for rotation inhousing 11. Drum 30 turns in a direction shown by the solid line arrow,a suitable motor 32 being provided for this purpose. Drum charging means34, exposure slit 35, developing means 37, transfer station 38, andcleaning station 40 are operatively arranged about the periphery of drum30 in a manner known to those skilled in the art.

Developing means 37 is encased in a housing 42 containing a supply ofpigmented material, commonly known as toner, in the lower portion orsump 42 thereof. A system of movable buckets 43 serve to carry the tonerinto operative contact with drum 30. It is understood that theelectrostatic charges on the surface of drum 30 serve to attract thetoner particles to drum 30 in a pattern corresponding to that of theimage scanned.

Scanning station 22 includes a viewing slit 45 over which the mastercards 14 are fed image side down by card feeding means 20. Suitableilluminating means such as lamps 47 are provided below slit 45. Lens 48and mirrors 49 serve to transfer the latent image via exposure slit 35to drum 30 in a manner known to those skilled in the art. Furtherdescription of the xerographic section may be found in U.S. Pat. No.3,137,495.

As seen best in FIG. 5, strip 12 consists of an endless web or strip ofmaterial, normally paper, perforated at 'egular intervals 52 along itslength. To avoid mutilation of the resulting labels, the distancebetween perforations 52 is made substantially equal to the label width,the address information 18 being printed therebetween. In use, thelabels are separated, as by cutting, along the axis of perforations 52.A supply of blank strip material may conveniently rest fan fold fashionon supply tray 54.

Strip advancing means 26 includes a driven sprocket wheel 55, teeth 55'thereof having driving engagement with perforations 52 in strip 12.Sprocket wheel 55 is driven by motor 32 as will appear.

As best seen in FIG. 2, blank strip material from supply tray 54 isdrawn through an inlet opening 56 in the lower portion of housing 11 andover curved damper chute 57 toward drum 30. A curved tension or dragmember 58 is disposed above chute 57, member 58 being pivotallysupported by pin 63 so that member 58 tends to rest against chute 57 andin contact with the strip 12 being drawn thereover. A suitable weight 64may be provided to hold member 58 against chute 57. As can beunderstood, member 58 imposes a drag on strip 12 as it is drawn forwardby sprocket wheel 55 to prevent looseness or laxness in the stripsupply.

A guide shaft 59 is disposed below drum 30 and ahead of the axis ofrotation of drum 30, guide shaft 59 being rotatably supported bysuitable journal means (not shown). Guide shaft 59 has a radiallyprojecting camlike guide 61 thereon. Guide 61 serves, when shaft 59 isin the position shown in FIG. 2, to guide strip 12 into physical contactwith the lower surface of drum 30 just upstream of transfer corotron38'. It will be understood that the tension imposed on strip 12 by dragmember 58 tends to hold strip 12 away from drum 30. While theelectrostatic field developed by corotron 38' tends to draw strip 12into contact with drum 30, the tacking force generated by corotron 38'may be insufficient to overcome the strip tension imposed by drag member58.

From transfer station 38, strip 12 passes through an image fusing orfixing device 66 to sprocket wheel 55. A curved holddown cover 62 isdisposed over wheel 55, a slot-like opening 62' being provided in cover62 to accommodate sprockets 55'. Cover 62 assures the requisite drivingengagement between strip 12 and sprockets 55' and while directing thefinished strip into output tray 16. Cover 62, the lower end of whichextends below the base of housing 11, is pinned at 65 to permit cover 62to be raised during threading of strip 12. A stationary guide 67projects downwardly toward tray 16, cover 62 and guide 67 cooperating toform a passage 68 for guiding finished strip 12 into output tray 16. Anaccess door 63 may be provided on housing 11 opposite sprocket wheel 55.

As can be understood, both the complexity of label printer 10 andoperator safety considerations render automatic threading of label strip12 highly desirable. Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 6, a chain pair 60 aresupported on opposite sides of the path followed by strip 12 throughprinter 10 by means of sprockets 59', 70 carried by guide shaft 59, andoperator shaft 70 respectively. Operator shaft 70 is suitably journaledin printer housing 11 adjacent sprocket shaft 55. As describedheretofore, guide shaft 59 is arranged below and slightly ahead of drum30, shaft 59 serving to guide strip 12 through an approximtely 180 turnand into operative contact with drum 30. The location of shafts 59, 70is such that the bottom and upper runs 71, 72 respectively of chains 60substantially parallel the route followed by strip 12 through printer10.

A clamp or draw member 73 is secured between chains 60. Member 73comprises a relativel thin plate-like part. When threading strip 12, thestrip is folded across the leading edge of member 73, preferably at oneof the existing fan fold fashion junctures to permit member 73 to drawthe strip 12 through printer 10. Operator shaft 70 is extended at 75 andhand wheel 76 secured thereto to permit shaft 70 together with drawmember '73 and guide shaft 59 to be operated during strip threading.

To assure proper positioning of cam 61 on guide shaft 59 once the stripis threaded, a switch 77 is disposed adjacent shaft 59. Switch arm 78 isarranged in the path of movement of lug 79 on shaft 59, lug 79 being insubstantial axial alignment with cam 61 while switch 77 is mountedwithin housing 11. During rotation of guide shaft 59, lug 79 thereofactuates switch 77 once during each revolution of shaft 59 whenever cam61 is in proper operating position adjacent drum 30 (the position shownin FIG. 2). A light 80 is disposed on the exterior of housing 11, switch78 serving when closed to complete a circuit to light 80 to providevisible indication to the operator when cam 61 is in proper operatingposition.

Card feeding means 20 includes a downwardly inclined, generallyrectangular card table 81 with a plurality of spaced support bars 82extending in the direction of card feed. Table 81 is journaled adjacentthe rear thereof on a support rod 83 mounted in sides 85 of housing 11.

To rock table 81 and advance cards 14 as will appear more fullyhereinafter, a drive arm 86 has one end journaled on support rod 83. Atthe opposite end, arm 86 carries a follower roller 88 adapted to ride onfeed cam 90. Table 81 and drive arm 86 are adjustably interconnected bymeans of screw 84. Cam 90, which is driven by motor 32 at a speedgreater than sprocket wheel 55 to assure the requisite shingling ofcards 14 at scanning station 22, has an operating flat 91 thereon. Aswill appear, card feeding means 22 includes plural advance rolls 92spacedly supported on driven shaft 99, table bars 82 being disposedopposite the space between rolls 92. This enables bars 82 to descendinto the space between rollers 92 on disposition of follower roll 88 oncam flat 91 thereby lowering the effective height of table 81 andpermitting the bottommost card to engage rolls 92 and be fed forwardthereby into the nip of feed roller pair 94. As can be understood,rotation of cam momentarily drops table 81 once during each revolutionof cam 90.

To prevent cards -14 on supply table 81 from slipping forward into thenip of feed roller pair 94 and to limit feed to one card at a time, apair of upstanding gates 95 are provided opposite the lower or dischargeend of table 81. Gates 95 are preferably arranged for adjusting movement toward and away from a base 96 proximate the inlet to feed rollerpair 94. Gates 95 cooperate with base 96 to form a reduced sizepassageway or thoat through which one card at a time is fed forward intothe nip of feed roller pair 94 by advance rolls 92.

Advance rolls 92 are spaced below the normal effective level of table 81on driven shaft 99. The diameter of rolls 92 relative to the effectivedisplacement of cam 90 is such that the effective level of table 81 withfollower 88 resting on cam 90 is slightly above the surface of rolls 92and feed of cards 14 from table 81 is prevented. With follower 88 onflat 91, the effective level of table 81 drops slightly below the apexof advance rolls 92 so that rolls 92 engage the bottommost card on table-81 to feed that card forward underneath gates 95 and into the nip offeed roller pair 94.

Advance roll drive shaft '99 and the support shafts 100 of feed rollerpair 94 are driven from input shaft 116 through suitable speedmultiplying gear and belt means 103 at a speed greater than the speed ofdrum 30 and sprocket wheel 55 as will appear.

Feed roller pair 94 carry the master cards forward be tween suitableguides 101 to shingling roller pair 102. Support shafts 104 of shinglingroller pair 102 are driven from feeder input shaft 116 at a speedsubstantially equal to the speed of drum 30 and sprocket wheel 55, andslower than that of advance rolls 92 and feed roller pair 94. As aresult, the relatively rapidly moving address cards 14 leaving feedroller pair 94 are slowed down by shingling roller pair 102 to a speedcorresponding to the operational speed of drum 30 as the cards passacross viewing slit 45 of scanning station 22. At the same time, thereduction in the speed causes the next following card to ride up on theslowed card with the result that the cards are shingled or overlappedone upon the other. It is understood that the degree of card shingle oroverlap is dependent upon the relative speeds of feed roller pair 94 andshingling roller pair 102. In the present invention, the relative speedsare chosen so that each master card overlaps the preceding card up tothe desired label width, which in the exemplary arrangement describedherein is approximately one inch.

Discharge pinch roll pairs 105 cooperate to carry the cards followingscanning between guides 106 to card return tray 107. There, cards 14leaving the downstream pinch roll pair 105 are stacked on edge, thecards passing under restack guide 108 and against backup plate 109 orthe preceding card. To limit lifting movement of the cards 14 as theyenter tray 107, the upper portion 108 of restack guide 108 is turnedinwardly to overlap the top of tray 107. Card return tray 107 includes abase 110 and sides 111. Tray 107 is preferably open at the top tofacilitate removal of the cards. The sides 111 of tray 107 may beadjustable to permit different size cards to be accommodated. To effectstacking of the returned cards in tray '14, backup plate 109 issupported for longitudinal movement by slots 112 in sides 111, it beingunderstood that the cards 14 drive backup plate 109 backward as thestack size increases. If desired, a suitable bias or resistance meansmay be provided to resist backward movement of plate 109.

Discharge pinch roll pairs 105 are driven through suitable gear means114 from drive shaft 116.

Referring to FIG. 7, the output pinion 32' of motor 32 is drivinglyconnected to a transfer gear 120. Transmission belt 117 is connectedbetween transfer pulley 120' and input shaft 116 of card feeding means20. A second transmission belt 121 connects transfer pulley (120" withpulley 122 of power shaft 123. Shaft 123 is geared directly to sprocketwheel 55. Shaft 123 also serves to drive drum 30 at the same speed assprocket wheel 55, transmission belts 125, 126 serving to drivinglyinterconnect power shaft 123 with drum shaft 30' via a transfer pulley127.

In operation of printer 10, master cards 14 are placed information sidedown on card supply table 81, the information 18 being toward the rear(to the left as seen in FIG. 2). With operation of label printer 10,table 81 is intermittently lowered about support rod 83 by follower 88of drive arm 86 riding on cam to bring the bottommost card on table 81into contact with the rotating advance rolls 92. Rolls 92, which turn inthe direction shown by the solid line arrow in FIG. 2, feed each cardforward under gates and into the nip of feed roller pair 94. Roller pair94 sustain the advance of the master cards 14 at relatively high speedtoward shingling roller pair 102 and scanning station 22.

As each master card 14 enters the nip of shingling roller pair 102, therelatively slower speed of roller pair 102 slows each master card to aspeed corresponding to the speed of drum 30. As a result, the nextfollowing card overrides or overlaps the first card and so forth so thatthe master cards 14 pass in shingled relation across slit 45 at a speedsubstantially matching that of drum 30. As explained heretofore, therelative speeds between feed roller pair 94 and shingling roller pair102 is such that master cards 14 are overlapped by a predeterminedamount, so that only the address information portion 18 of each card isscanned.

The image is transmitted by means of lens 48 and mirrors 49 throughexposure slit 35 to the surface of the rotating drum 30. The resultinglatent electrostatic image formed on drum 30 is first developed bydeveloping means 37, the toner image being transferred to the movingstrip 12 at transfer station 38. It is understood that both drum 30 andsprocket wheel 55 rotate at the same speed, wheel 55 serving to drawblank strip from supply tray 54 around cam 61 of guide shaft 59, pastexposure station 58 and through the fixing device 66 to output tray 16.

As master cards 14 pass beyond viewing slit 45, they are fed by pinchroll pairs to return tray 107 where they are stacked edgewise againstbackup plate 109. It is understood that the cards are manually removedfrom tray 107 for reuse or return to storage.

When threading strip 12, door 63 is opened and cover 62 raised to exposesprocket wheel 55. The leading edge of the strip is inserted throughinlet 56 and between chute 57 and drag member 58 (drag member 58 may beraised slightly to facilitate insertion) and folded over draw member 73.It may be understood that member 73 is normally positioned along lowerrun 71 of chains 60 adjacent the end of chute 57.

Hand wheel 76 is then used to operate sprockets 70' and move chains 60in the direction shown by the solid line arrow in FIG. 6 to draw strip12 into printer 10 and over guide shaft 59, through transfer station 38,and the fixing device 66 toward sprocket wheel 55. As draw member 74nears shaft 70, the leading edge of the strip is removed from drawmember 74 and hand threaded under the raised cover 62 and over sprocketwheel 55 into output tray 16. In threading the strip over wheel 55, theprotruding sprockets 55' are interengaged with openings 52 in the strip.When completed, cover 62 is lowered to the position shown in FIG. 2.

During threading of the label strip, guide shaft 59 together with cam 61thereof is turned so that on completion of the threading operation, cam61 may be out of position. To obviate this, following completion of thestrip threading operation, guide shaft 59 is turned by means of handwheel 76 to place cam 61 in the position shown in FIG. 2. This issignaled to the operator by means of light 80, the control switch 77 ofwhich is closed by cam 79 whenever cam 61 is disposed in the properoperating position.

To protect strip 12 against burning or scorching by heat from the fusingdevice 66 on stopping of printer 10 and to protect printer 10 againstvarious operating malfunctions, the control arrangement, shown inschematic outline in FIG. 8, is provided. Referring thereto, a controlrelay 130 is connected through normally open start switch 131, normallyclosed stop switch 133, and timer contact 148 across a suitable powersource represented by leads L L Holding contact 130 of relay 130parallels start switch 131. Power supply switch 129 may be provided inlead L to permit power to printer to be shut off.

The operating components of label printer 10, namely drive motor 32,lamp 47, the fusing device heat source represented by coil 66, thecorotron power supply 137, and the motor 138 for driving developer belt43' are each connected through individual contacts 130 of control relay130 across leads L L As will be understood, energization of controlrelay 130 closes contacts 130' thereof to operate printer 10.

As seen in FIG. 2, a card feed responsive switch 140 is disposedadjacent the outlet of card feed table 81, the switch arm thereforprotruding into the path of feed of cards 14. Switch 140 is normallyheld open by the passage of cards 14 thereover during operation ofprinter 10. On interruption in the feed of cards, switch 140 closes.

A strip feed responsive switch 142 is arranged adjacent the path ofmovement of label strip 12, the actuating arm for switch 142 protrudinginto the path of movement of label strip 12. During normal feed of strip12, strip 12 holds switch 142 open. However, should strip 12 break orrun out, switch 142 closes to shutdown printer 10 as will appear.

A card return oversupply switch 145 is supported adjacent return tray106, the actuating arm therefor being disposed to intercept backup plate108 as plate 108 approaches its point of maximum stacking travel.Contact of switch 145 with plate 108 closes switch 145.

Switch 140 is series connected through normally closed timer contact 148and normally open control relay contact 130' with a pair of controltimers 147, 148 across leads L L Switch 142 is connected throughnormally open timer contact 147' with timers 147, 148 across leads L Lwhile switch 145 is connected with timers 147, 148 across leads L L Anormally closed contact 147 of timer 147 is disposed in the energizingcircuit to the fuser coil 66' while a normally closed contact 148' oftimer 148 is in series with control relay 130.

On start up of label printer 10, start switch 131 is momentarilydepressed to complete, through stop switch 133 and timer contact 148, acircuit to control relay 130. Contacts 1'30 of relay 130 accordinglyclose to hold relay 130 energized and to complete circuits to motor 32,lamps 47, coil 66, corotron power supply 137, and developer drive motor138.

With start up of motor 32, card feeding means 20 is operated to feed themaster address cards 14 forward in shingled relation past scanningstation 22 as described heretofore. At the same time, drum 30 andsprocket wheel 55 are rotated, the latter serving to advance strip 12 inunison with drum 30 past transfer station 38 and through the fixingdevice 66.

In the event of an interruption in the feed of cards 14, switch 140closes to complete through contacts 148', 147 and 130', circuits totimers 147, 148. Following a first interval adequate to permit the imagefrom the last address card fed by feeding means 20 imaged on strip 12and fixed by the fixing device 66, timer 147 opens contacts 147' thereofto shutdown fuser 66. The remaining components of printer 10 howeverremain operative. It is understood that if the supply of cards 14resumes prior to the tolling of timer 147 with consequent opening ofswitch 140, timer 147 is reset and the timed shutdown cycle for printer10 isaborted.

Following a second additional interval adequate to permit the portion ofstrip 12 bearing the last label to reach tray 16 and permit fuser 66 tocool below a temperature at which strip 12, if stopped, might scorch orburn, timer 148 opens contacts 148 thereof to interrupt the circuit toconrol relay 130. Deenergizaion of relay 130 opens contacts 130' thereofto stop motor 32, lamps 47, corotron power supply 137, and developermotor 47 while resetting timers 147, 148. Label printer 10 isaccordingly shutdown.

8 Similarly, exhausting or breaking of the strip supply, closes switch142 to actuate timers 147, 148 and shutdown printer 10 in the sequenceand manner explained above. Should the number of cards 14 in restacktray 106 reach a point at which backup plate 107 closes switch 145,timers 147, 148 are again actuated to shutdown printer 10 in thesequence and manner explained.

It is understood that label printer 10 may be manually stopped at anytime through opening of stop switch 133. While the invention has beendescribed with reference to the structure disclosed, it is not confinedto the de* tails sets forth; but is intended to cover suchmodifications, or changes as may come within the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is: 1. In an electrostatic printing apparatus havingmeans for feeding cards through the apparatus, the cards providingaddress information to be copied; means for producing electrostaticallyimages of the address information on a web material; means for advancingthe web material in timed relationship with operation of said cardfeeding means and the image producing means; and means for fixing imagesproduced on said web material wherein the fixing means includes a sourceof heat, the improvement comprising control means to stop said apparatusin stages in response to a control signal whereby to avoid burning orscorching of said web material by said fixing means heat source, saidcontrol means including first interval timing means to shutdown saidfixing heat means heat source on the expiration of a predetermined firstinterval following said control signal sufiicient to permit said fixingmeans to fix the image from the last information card fed before saidsignal, and

second interval timing means to stop the remainder of said apparatusincluding said web advancing means on the expiration of a predeterminedsecond interval following shutdown of said fixing means heat sourcedesigned to enable said fixing means heat source to cool down so thatburning or scorching of said web material is avoided; and

condition responsive means for generating said control signal inresponse to an operating condition of said apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said condition responsivemeans generates said control signal in response to interruption in thefeed of said information cards.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said condition responsivemeans generates said control signal in response to a break in the supplyof said web material.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said apparatus includes acard return tray for said cards, said card feeding means being adaptedto feed said cards to said return tray following electrostatic imagingthereof; said control means serving to generate said control signal whensaid tray is substantially filled.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,889,758 6/1959 Bolton 355-62,909,971 l0/1959 Barber, Jr 355-6 2,461,185 2/ 1949 Schubert et al.355-64 2,903,133 9/1959 Quinn et al. 271-41 X 3,085,347 4/1963 Justus34-49 3,053,962 9/1962 Cerasani et al. 219-388 3,164,717 1/1965 Kaufman219-388 SAMUEL S. MATTHEWS, Primary Examiner R. P. GREINER, AssistantExaminer U.S. Cl. X.R. 34-49; 355-6

